After an irresistibly adorable one-hour feature of Winnie the Pooh my friend and I made our way to 10 Downing Food and Wine on the last official day of Restaurant Week. Though during the walk there we were reminded that we had not properly taken advantage of RW I was optimistic that 10 Downing, which merits solid reviews, was sure to compensate for this and end the week nicely. The spacious dining room boasted a beautiful glow from the sunset, aided by the large window panels. It was a refreshing alternative the often dim-lit dining rooms you'd find in these areas.
***We started off with a chilled English pea soup (with buttermilk ice and summer fruit) and an heirloom tomato and watermelon salad (with mint, almonds, radish, and basil oil.) While I did not try the pea soup myself it did not stand out to my friend, who called it refreshing and fruity yet "unexciting" and undeserving of a mention. My heirloom tomato and watermelon salad on the other hand was delicious-my only complaint was that a few chunks of tomato had a mealy texture. The ice-cold watermelon was crisp and sweet and was coated with tangy tomato dripping, almond dust and a garlic lemony dressing. I've always considered watermelon the fruit to eat as it is, unaccompanied by savory ingredients. Guess I was wrong.
Below is seared wild striped bass sitting on top of a grilled corn potato "hash" adorned with a smear of bland roasted red pepper sauce. My bass was overcooked and dry. The corn and potato hash was hands-down the best component of the night, given my particular aversion to corn. It was smokey, creamy, savory, and perfectly seasoned- I almost asked for it as a side dish.
The braised short rib with broccoli, bearnaise sauce, and shallot confit featured slightly tough meat and a stone-hard almost inedible baby carrot. But everything else was well seasoned and tasted fine- a hearty dish, subtle in flavor.
Dessert was pleasant. I ordered the the spiced chocolate torte with a grape reduction and chipotle spiked cream. I appreciated that the torte was not overly sweet, though it was a very dense, making the dollop of cream on top seem almost foam like. The chocolate-dipped pistachios dusted with salt were crunchy and scrumptious. 
Pictured below is almond and pecan panna cotta with roasted cherries and madeira sauce. The panna cotta was very rich and had an usually strong almond extract flavor. The sauce was slightly tart and nicely balanced out the creaminess.
Overcooked bass aside the dinner went well, at least my part. The service was good though our waitress made us feel slightly uncomfortable as she tried a few times too many to build the check. The dishes were nicely portioned and came promptly. Overall, a good, though not spectacular, ending to a relaxing sunday afternoon.
10 Downing
10 Downing Street
